2:54pm Thursday 12th September 2002
YET another brilliant book from our local cook-queen, Mary Berry. And this time Mary sets out to convince us there's no excuse for not managing to invite friends to a meal.
If you prepare ahead and get organised, she says, cooking a special family supper or a meal for friends is easy.
The book, Cook Now, Eat Later, shows how to keep one step ahead with more than 130 new recipes. Fans of Mary's cookbooks (she's written 30-plus) will find the same reliable recipes each one is tested six or seven times in her kitchen at home in Penn. But her books move on with the times.
Mary says: "Eating has changed. It's become lighter, we like less fat and less sugar. Now my recipes are shorter with an emphasis on using fresh food, and recipes are far quicker.
"More and more people want to prepare ahead or part cook ahead, as there's often very little time available just before the meal if you're having people to supper."
Mary and her assistant Lucy Young have come up with lots of useful tips and short cuts. For example, if you're serving fish such as salmon fillet slices, sear them very hot, very briefly to get a perfect colour, then set aside. Just before serving, bake for six to ten minutes.
The recipes reflect the modern interest in international flavours too, with a fresh and uncomplicated take on ethnic dishes. And since she's the acknowledged expert in Aga cooking, each recipe includes Aga cooking instructions.
Cook Now, Eat Later, by Mary Berry (Headline, £20)
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